New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday expressed his condolences on the passing away of former Jammu & Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik.
PM Modi took to X and said,"Saddened by the passing away of Shri Satyapal Malik Ji. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti."
Malik breathed his last on Tuesday after a prolonged illness in New Delhi. Malik was 79 years old. Reportedly, he was suffering from kidney-related ailments.
Malik served as the 10th and last Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, from August 2018 to October 2019. It was during his tenure that Article 370 was abrogated in J&K on August 5, 2019.
Satyapal Malik's Political Career:
Before serving as Jammu and Kashmir's governor, Malik was appointed the Governor of Bihar in 2017. In 2018, he was also given the additional charge of Odisha. Later, he was appointed Governor of Goa. He also served as the Governor of Meghalaya until October 2022.
Early Life
Malik was born in Hisawada village of Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat in a Jat family on July 24, 1946. In 1968, the former J&K Governor began his political career after elected as the students union president. In 1974, Malik was elected an MLA of Chaudhary Charan Singh's Bharatiya Kranti Dal. He also served as a Rajya Sabha MP. He was elected as Lok Sabha MP from Aligarh on Janata Dal ticket in 1989.
In 1996, Malik again contested the Lok Sabha elections from Aligarh. However, he lost the polls. In 2012, Malik also served appointed National Vice-President of the BJP.
Controversy Surrounding Satyapal Malik
In recent times, the former J&K Governor was in the news for his criticism of the Narendra Modi government. In an interview in 2023, he alleged lapses in security arrangements which led to the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. He claimed that the Centre turned down the CRPF's request for aircraft for its convoy movement.
CRPF soldiers were attacked when they were travelling by road in Pulwama district. Notably, he was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir when the attack took place. At least 40 CRPF soldiers lost their live sin the terror attack.
Malik also backed the farmers' protest against the three farm laws passed by the Centre in 2020, which were later rolled back.
